I like the light weight of my vacuum and the handheld is awesome that came with

One thing to consider before investing in a Dyson is that they are almost exclusively made from plastic which, in the industry, is thought to be inferior to those with solid metal parts. I am retired from a long time position in maintenance where as part of my job I purchased vacuums for a large school district. I can tell you I would never recommend a Dyson vacuum because they don't hold up to normal wear and tear.

Although most folks don't need to spend the extra money to purchase a commercial vacuum for home use, it generally is more economical to by solidly built equipment over something that is primarily a gimmick and generally cheaply made and probably won't last more than a year or two.

I am not a Riccar salesman. However, although Riccar vacuums are not commercial vacuums they are well built and will hold up for many years of home use. I had my first Riccar for nearly twenty years before I traded it in for a new model. It still worked well, BTW. Riccar vacuums are not cheap by any standards, but they are less expensive than many commercial vacuums, such as an Advance. For more information about Advance commercial vacs, go here: http://www.advance-us.com/products/vacuums.aspx I previously posted a link to Riccar in this thread, please refer to that post for more information about these vacuums.

Another great option is to by a quality used commercial vacuum over one of the new throwaway ones.

One thing to consider before investing in a Dyson is that they are almost exclusively made from plastic which, in the industry, is thought to be inferior to those with solid metal parts. I am retired from a long time position in maintenance where as part of my job I purchased vacuums for a large school district. I can tell you I would never recommend a Dyson vacuum because they don't hold up to normal wear and tear.

Although most folks don't need to spend the extra money to purchase a commercial vacuum for home use, it generally is more economical to by solidly built equipment over something that is primarily a gimmick and generally cheaply made and probably won't last more than a year or two.

I am not a Riccar salesman. However, although Riccar vacuums are not commercial vacuums they are well built and will hold up for many years of home use. I had my first Riccar for nearly twenty years before I traded it in for a new model. It still worked well, BTW. Riccar vacuums are not cheap by any standards, but they are less expensive than many commercial vacuums, such as an Advance. For more information about Advance commercial vacs, go here: http://www.advance-us.com/products/vacuums.aspx I previously posted a link to Riccar in this thread, please refer to that post for more information about these vacuums.

Another great option is to by a quality used commercial vacuum over one of the new throwaway ones.

I have a good vac but I need a new motorhead thing and it's so expensive that I wonder if I should just get a new/diff vac and consider one that doesn't need bags.

I have a good vac but I need a new motorhead thing and it's so expensive that I wonder if I should just get a new/diff vac and consider one that doesn't need bags.

Thanks for the links...suppose most getbiggers have this one:

That Advance vacuum in the photo is really something. My home isn't big enough to justify such a monster. Besides vacuuming is good exercise.

My daughter bought a bagless vacuum once. It wasn't a Dyson. It seemed to me she complained that she had to empty the canister really often or the suction was compromised. Additionally, one must clean and/or replace the filters constantly. Good quality vacuums with bags, like the Riccar, have excellent filtration via the bag. In addition they have filters too which only need to be replaced occasionally. With my Riccar, the filters last a couple of years. That's saying something since I have two dogs, one of which sheds constantly. The downside of a good bag style vaccum is that the bags aren't cheap. I go through a bag a month at our house....probably because the suction on the vacuum is so strong it is sucking the fibers right out of the carpets. LOL! The Riccar vacuum bags are hepa filtration which is great for folks, like me, with allergies. http://www.vacuumsinc.com/riccar-x-radiance-hepa-bags-428.html You will notice from this link, as I said, the bags are not cheap. $20 for six bags.

Check this review out:

Quote

Dyson Vacuum Cleaner - All Hype, No Substance Consumers, don’t believe the hype. Dyson boasts that its vacuum 1) does not loose suction and, 2) contains a lifetime HEPA filter. Remember the old adage, “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” Marketing sells and James Dyson has glamorized a mediocre vacuum into a fashion symbol. Now people over pay pay over $500 for a machine that lacks convenience, performance, quality emission controls and much needed vacuum bags.

Unfortunately, Dyson is not as good at engineering as they are at marketing. When the vacuum breaks down, the machine must be entirely disassembled to get to the brushroll and belt, which require special tools as well as training. This is a serious problem, if you want serviceability and ease of maintenance. Moreover, replacement parts are very expensive and finding someone to perform the repairs will cost you $. We have tested the Dyson with our particle counter and it does not meet HEPA standards – meaning it does not effectively trap over 99.97% of all fine dust, pollen, and other particles. While Dyson vacuums do not have bags, it is actually more of a weakness than strength. In our YouTube video below, we point out that if you’re going to dump your dirt into a bag anyways, wouldn’t you rather just put it directly into a true bag made for vacuum cleaners, one that is sealed and traps the dust without forcing you to breathe all the particles and contamination? Take our word for it, the Dyson is disgusting to empty and it fills up quickly (agian, see our YouTube video for more).

From a historical and also quality perspective, up until the year 2000, Dyson licensed its design to a US distributor named Phantom (think QVC infomercials), which went out of business. Little did you know that Dyson is actually a re-branded Phantom! Dyson pulled the agreement, and came to the US with the same vacuum design and increased the price and, of course, its marketing efforts.Don’t be a victim of brilliant marketing - the Dyson is overpriced and underperforms. All in all, the Dyson does not meet the Consumer Reporter’s Green Seal of Approval qualifications.

Here is the perfect vacuum: The Eureka Optima. It is light weight (12lbs) with powerful suction. You can use it the traditional way or unlatch the hose to clean smaller objects such as a keyboard, a lampshade, or anywhere you want direct suction. At barely $50 it is practically disposable. We love it so much we have one on both floors of the house and even bought one for our house in LA. When it is "full" you just detach and empty the cylinder. It is translucent so you can see when it is getting full; no bags to change; if suction ever diminishes you can detach and clean the filter or buy a replacement filter. I bought extra filters when I initially bought this, but I have had mine for a few years now and have yet to change the filter (though I clean it regularly). You can get it at Bed Bath & Beyond.

FYI: if you ever see two men shopping at BBB they are gay.If you ever see a muscled man at BBB he is gay.

Bay, do you have pets? I wonder how it is with pet hair? What type of carpet do you have?

I do not have pets in this home. There are different kinds of carpets on three different floors; don't ask me what kind they are. I would not be recommending this vacuum if i didn't think it was great. At barely $50 if you buy it and it is "horrible" have you really lost anything. Go buy the vacuum.

I do not have pets in this home. There are different kinds of carpets on three different floors; don't ask me what kind they are. I would not be recommending this vacuum if i didn't think it was great. At barely $50 if you buy it and it is "horrible" have you really lost anything. Go buy the vacuum.

In researching the Eureka vacuum you have, I noticed that the cleaning head is only 11". I guess if you have a small area to clean or the time for all those extra strokes, it could work. Being lightweight is nice. More solidly built vacuums, which often have more metal working parts, are heavier. My Riccar is around 20 lbs. It has dual motors though.

Something to consider when buying a vacuum is the filtration system. For idiots like me who have allergies and pets which aggravate these allergies, a hepa filtration system is a must. Virtually, no dust escapes through the HEPA filters or the bag which is a cloth like HEPA bag. However, these bags are expensive and must be emptied when they are about 3/4 full to maintain good suction. A bag lasts me about a month. When one empties a bagless vacuum some of the dust gets back into the air your breathing. My daughter had a bagless vacuum which I used once. When I emptied it outside into the garbage a cloud of dust flew in my face. I was sneezing for hours afterwards.

In researching the Eureka vacuum you have, I noticed that the cleaning head is only 11". I guess if you have a small area to clean or the time for all those extra strokes, it could work. Being lightweight is nice. More solidly built vacuums, which often have more metal working parts, are heavier. My Riccar is around 20 lbs. It has dual motors though.

Something to consider when buying a vacuum is the filtration system. For idiots like me who have allergies and pets which aggravate these allergies, a hepa filtration system is a must. Virtually, no dust escapes through the HEPA filters or the bag which is a cloth like HEPA bag. However, these bags are expensive and must be emptied when they are about 3/4 full to maintain good suction. A bag lasts me about a month. When one empties a bagless vacuum some of the dust gets back into the air your breathing. My daughter had a bagless vacuum which I used once. When I emptied it outside into the garbage a cloud of dust flew in my face. I was sneezing for hours afterwards.

As you indicated, the vacuum should be emptied outside (on the porch, balcony, back yard, etc). If you experience is that dust will blow in your face then you open in a manner that is consistent with the wind and/or otherwise hold your breath at the moment you empty it. I empty mine on balcony if it's really full and have never had a problem.

As you indicated, the vacuum should be emptied outside (on the porch, balcony, back yard, etc). If you experience is that dust will blow in your face then you open in a manner that is consistent with the wind and/or otherwise hold your breath at the moment you empty it. I empty mine on balcony if it's really full and have never had a problem.

That is the great thing about HEPA bags instead of a canister -- no dust at all because the bag is sealed when it goes in the garbage.

-Curious, you empty the canister on the balcony. Does this mean you just send all that crap cascading over the edge? Hopefully, you are emptying it into a garbage bag or can of some kind.

If I could afford to do the retrofit, I'd install a whole house vacuum with the motor out in the garage. Aside from dragging a hose around the house, these vacuums supposedly do the very best job of both cleaning and removing allergens from the home.